Rider Biographies

Jonathan Paget

Country: New Zealand

Age: 29

Jonathan (Jock) who is based in Surrey has enjoyed a rapid rise through the sport from novice to Olympian in just 11-years. He was a member of the New Zealand team that won team bronze in London 2012 where he was 10th individually (Clifton Promise) and this year the combination trounced the opposition to win Badminton , Jock’s first visit and is the first Badminton debutant to win since fellow New Zealander Sir Mark Todd in 1980. With Clifton Lush he won the British Eventing Open Championship at Gatcombe Park.

Born in Wellsford, New Zealand the family relocated to Sydney, Australia in 1986. After completing education he undertook an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and did not start riding till he was 18. He applied to be a working pupil with Kevin McNab (entered at Burghley this year) in Tamborine, Queensland and under his tutelage progressed from never having jumped a fence to competing at 3* level in less than two years.

After working for Kevin, Jock went to Sydney and set up a business producing and competing horses in 2006. However, as the 2007 outbreak of equine influenza near Sydney resulted in all horse movements being halted, Jock returned to New Zealand took the job of principal rider for Clifton Eventers at their base at Muriwai. In 2008/’09 he was the leading event rider in NZ and won 'Eventer of the Year' title at NZ Horse of the Year Show in 2009 and 2010.

After successful completion of his first 4* at Lexington in 2010 (Clifton Promise) Jock came to the UK to prepare for the WEG where they finished in seventh place.

He has now been based in the UK since February 2011 and has been joined by several more Clifton horses. In 2011 with Clifton Lush, formerly ridden by Joe Meyer, he won the CIC*** at Bramham, was third in the British Eventing Open Championship at Gatcombe Park and made an impressive Burghley debut with two horses in the top 12. He ended last year (2012) with second place at Pau 4* with Clifton Promise.

In his downtime Jock enjoys mountain biking

Clifton Promise, owned by Frances Stread and rider, is a 15-year-old New Zealand thoroughbred bred for the track by Engagement out of a mare by Cautious Style. As with all Clifton Eventers he was selected and bought by Frances Stead in NZ as a green youngster having done nothing competitively after being tried for racing. After an excellent grounding by Danielle Nixon, Clifton Promise was taken on by Jock in 2007 when still at novice level.

Clifton Lush, owned by Frances Stead and lucy Allison, is a 13-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred by Half Iced out of a mare by Le Grand Seigneur. In April 2007 Lush fell in the field and broke 9 thoracic vertebrae (withers) which resulted in him being cross-tied in the stable for 3 months and then a further 3 months on box rest and as a result he is now two inches shorter!